Library News

The WDM Public Library’s collection of STEM Kits for learning have always hovered around 60 items to check out. Now, we’ve been able to expand our offerings to over 130! Not only are the Learning Kits fun for kids to play with, but they are curated to focus on ‘sneaky learning’ objectives such as early literacy skills, dramatic play, fine and gross motor skills, and early math concepts.

Our library staff is happy to assist you with any questions you might have regarding the upcoming City/School Board election on November 7, 2023. The library will be an Early Voting site for POLK COUNTY voters only on Tuesday, October 24 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The West Des Moines Public Library is excited to be participating in Sensory Spaces with other Metro area libraries. During these designated times, each Sensory Space library will offer special hours for members of the public who appreciate a sensory-friendly environment. The next Sensory Space time at the West Des Moines Public Library will be on Sunday, October 8 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Each year, the West Des Moines Public Library celebrates Banned Books Week to honor the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.  Librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types come together during this week to support the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

The West Des Moines Public Library is partnering with the Polk County Health Department to be a pick-up location for free gun locks. Patrons do not need to have a library card in order to pick up a free gun lock at the Accounts and Checkout Desk or Children's Desk. 

The West Des Moines Public Library is partnering with DART to celebrate Library Card Sign up Week! Use your library card to ride FREE on DART’s Local and Express routes and On Call services September 17-23, 2023.

Just show your library card when you board any DART bus September 17-23. It's that simple! Then enjoy DART's free WiFi to listen to an eAudiobook or read an eBook. 

by Darryl Eschete, Director, WDM Public Library

As those of you who have recently visited us at 4000 Mills Civic Parkway know, the public elevator that had been previously been out of service is officially back up and running. While the elevator was out of service, we received many questions about the nature of the outage and how long it would take to repair. I'd like to share where we are in the process of upgrading both our public and staff elevators and what you can expect in the months to come. 

We rounded out the end of our Fiscal Year in June 2023. Looking back on the year, we wanted to share some of the highlights, including all of the fabulous things we were able to accomplish with the help of our dedicated patrons. 

Not only did our digital and physical circulation numbers go up this year, we were also proud of serving over 1,300 patrons through our Homebound and Elder Care Outreach programs, having 2,900 volunteer hours served in the library, and having 21,931 event attendees!

Do you have a backpack or suitcase that you haven't peeked in this summer? Maybe you have a stack of books hiding in your car somewhere that you might have forgotten about? Have no fear! You can return these overdue WDM Library items on Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19 and all fines will be waived!

Please note that the amnesty weekend will only waive fines, not fees. Collection Agency fees and replacement copy fees cannot be waived during this event. 

Please join us on Tuesday, June 20 at either 8:30 AM or 4:30 PM for a brief dedication ceremony for our memorial garden. This garden, located outside of the library's main entrance, was created as a space to remember and reflect on the lives of library workers, friends, and family who have passed before us. Each of the ceremonies will also be livestreamed on the West Des Moines Public Library Facebook Page if you aren't able to attend in person.

West Des Moines Public Library is assessing its current technology offerings in an effort to improve the overall experience for our users. 

Please take a few minutes to fill out this brief survey. You will have the option to provide comments at the end. All responses will be anonymous.

Thank you for being a part of the library community!

TAKE SURVEY

National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries are celebrated for their work during this week- from school to public and academic to special, this week is a dedicated time for library staff and donors to shine. Here at WDM Library we'd like to especially thank our hardworking library staff for all they do!

This National Volunteer Week, we'd like to take a moment to thank all of the volunteers who dedicate their time and resources here at the West Des Moines Public Library. So much of what we do relies on the hours provided by these hard-working individuals and we are incredibly grateful that they choose to spend their time here with us. 

In the spirit of March Madness, the WDM Public Library is hosting our own bracket challenge: but with books! We've pulled the top titles in four "divisions": Adult, Young Adult, Picture Books, and Juvenile. Each week, we'll open a new survey to vote your favorite books onto the finals and ultimately crown the Best Book!  

And the winner is... The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood! 

by Craig Long, Secretary, WDM Library Board of Trustees